Meanings
plural brutalities
- countableuncountableThe state of being brutal.
Yes, said Stalin, Lenin did accuse me of brutality, and I am brutal where the revolution is concerned—but did Lenin ever say that my policy was wrong? To this the opposition had no answer.
1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume III: The Breakdown, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozkład (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 17 - countableuncountableA cruel or savage act.
‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police[…]? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 18, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe trait of extreme cruelty
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*gʷreh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*gʷréh₂usder.?
- Proto-Italic*gʷrūtos
- Latinbrūtus
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Medieval Latinbrūtālis
- Englishbrutal
- Englishbrutality
Translations
Ancient Greek θηριότης
- θηριότης (thēriótēs)state of being brutal
Arabic وحشية
- وحشية (Wahshiya)state of being brutal
Catalan brutalitat
- brutalitatstate of being brutal
Chinese Mandarin 殘暴 /残暴, 殘忍 /残忍
- 殘暴 /残暴 (cánbào)state of being brutal
- 殘忍 /残忍 (cánrěn)state of being brutal
- 野蠻 /野蛮 (yěmán)state of being brutal
- 暴力 (bàolì)state of being brutal
- 殘暴行為 /残暴行为 (cánbào xíngwéi)cruel act
- 暴力 (bàolì)use of excessive physical force
Czech brutalita
- brutalitastate of being brutal
Dutch wreedheid
- wreedheidstate of being brutal
Esperanto brutaleco
- brutalecostate of being brutal
Finnish raakuus, julmuus
- raakuusstate of being brutal
- julmuusstate of being brutal
- brutaaliusstate of being brutal
- raakuuscruel act
- julmuuscruel act
- väkivaltause of excessive physical force
French brutalité, brutalité
- brutalitéstate of being brutal
- brutalitéuse of excessive physical force
German Brutalität, Brutalität
- Brutalitätstate of being brutal
- Brutalitätuse of excessive physical force
Greek αγριότητα
- αγριότητα (agriótita)state of being brutal
Hindi बर्बरता, क्रूरता
- बर्बरता (barbartā)state of being brutal
- क्रूरता (krūrtā)state of being brutal
- निर्ममता (nirmamtā)state of being brutal
Hungarian brutalitás, brutalitás
- brutalitásstate of being brutal
- brutalitásuse of excessive physical force
Irish brúidiúlacht
- brúidiúlachtstate of being brutal
Italian brutalità
- brutalitàstate of being brutal
Norwegian Bokmål brutalitet
- brutalitetstate of being brutal
Polish brutalizm, brutalność
- brutalizmstate of being brutal
- brutalnośćstate of being brutal
- okrucieństwocruel act
- brutalnośćuse of excessive physical force
Portuguese brutalidade
- brutalidadestate of being brutal
Romanian brutalitate, brutalitate
- brutalitatestate of being brutal
- brutalitatecruel act
- brutalitateuse of excessive physical force
Russian жесто́кость, зве́рство
- жесто́кость (žestókostʹ)state of being brutal
- зве́рство (zvérstvo)state of being brutal
Scottish Gaelic brùidealachd
- brùidealachdstate of being brutal
Spanish brutalidad
- brutalidadstate of being brutal
Swedish brutalitet
- brutalitetstate of being brutal
Turkish şiddet
- şiddetuse of excessive physical force
Ukrainian брутальність, бузувірство
- брутальність (brutalʹnistʹ)state of being brutal
- бузувірство (buzuvirstvo)cruel act
- брутальність (brutalʹnistʹ)use of excessive physical force
- надмірність (nadmirnistʹ)use of excessive physical force
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with brutality
Cite this entry
brutality. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brutality
“brutality.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brutality. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “brutality,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brutality.
Source: brutality on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.